Game of Deception
by CommChatter
Summary: AU of A New Hope and adopted from Vulcan Wolf. The Skywalker twins are united much much earlier than their first soiree on the Death Star, but neither one is aware of it. Herein lies the tale of Luke Skywalker: Tatooine farmboy, Jedi Padawan, and hotshot X-wing pilot.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone, CommChatter here! I adopted this story from Vulcan Wolf, who wrote the first ten chapters. I'll go through and edit before I post, but I'm saying right now that the credit for the first ten chapters goes not to me, but Vulcan Wolf.**

**If I owned Star Wars, do you really think I'd be here? Sadly, Disney has bought Star Wars. I only bid a dollar. **

Siria Keray took on the most dangerous deception of her life when she switched places with Leia Organa during an attack on their consular ship, the _Tantive IV_. Siria, never far from the Princess's side at any time, gunned down two stormtroopers before they could capture Leia, who had already taken out a third.

"Siria!" the Princess gave a cry of relief to see her behind the stormtroopers.

"Let's get out of here before their friends come looking." She grabbed Leia by the hand and abandoned that part of the ship. They found an empty passageway and Siria pulled off her uniform, throwing it at Leia, "Put on my uniform and give me your gown. Did you get rid of the plans?"

"I gave them to Artoo-Detoo along with a message for General Kenobi." Leia was quick to change and once they were in each other's clothes, Siria twisted her hair into the style Leia wore as a Junior Senator of Alderaan in the Imperial Senate while Leia pulled her hair into the double-braid Siria wore as the Princess's personal bodyguard and decoy. When they were finished, no one could have told you which girl was Princess Leia and which one was her loyal bodyguard Siria Keray, the girls looked so much alike. They made their way through the ship to the escape-pods, and there they parted ways.

"It should be me, Siria!" Leia hugged her tightly, "I don't want you to get hurt!"

"No, Leia, let me do this. Go find help on Tatooine. My signal-jammer will keep you safe until you reach the surface."

"They could kill you, Siria. I'd never forgive myself if anything happened to you!"

"Don't worry about me, worry about yourself. I'm just a decoy, Lil, a game-piece for the Alliance. You're too important." She heard the fighting growing closer and knew her time was short.

"You're my best friend, Siria, I don't want to lose you."

"We're running out of time, Lil, go!" She pushed the girl into the escape-pod and slammed the safety-door's controls. The pod ejected and she went to face down a very different fate. Knowing Leia was safe for a little while longer gave Siria the courage to carry through in the other girl's place.

It wasn't long after Leia escaped that Siria was taken hostage by stormtroopers. They cornered her in an alcove in another of the many empty hallways.

"There's one!" the leading trooper shouted, spotting Siria in her hiding place, "Set for stun!" Siria stepped from her hiding place and shot the trooper with the pistol she'd stolen from a dead Rebel trooper. Turning, she tried to run but they brought her down with a stun-blast. The stormtroopers inspected their quarry.

"She'll be all right." The one kneeling at her side looked at his companions, "Inform Lord Vader we have a prisoner."

Meanwhile, Leia's escape-pod had reached Tatooine. The crash sent a spray of sand several feet into the air, and smoke billowed from the damaged craft. Luke Skywalker saw the whole thing happen on his way home from Anchorhead, where he had failed to convince his friends at Toche Station that the two ships sitting in orbit had been firing on each other not very long ago. No one believed him, which shouldn't have come as much of a surprise to the irrepressible farm boy. Even his best friend had called his bluff, and that's what hurt the most. But the trail of smoke from the pod as it streaked across the sky followed by the signs of impact was enough to jolt his mind from the self-depreciating gloom. He whipped his battered landspeeder around and hit the accelerator. Something _had _happened up there! There really had been a battle! Too bad Biggs had left so quickly, eh?

When he reached the impact-site, he jumped out of the speeder and skidded down the slope of the dune to the pod, "Hey! Hey, anybody down there? Are you alright?" As he neared, the hatch blew out and a girl emerged in a tumble of limbs. Luke ran around to her and dropped to his knees, "Hey, are you alright?" The pod looked damaged, like it had been shot at and the shot had just barely missed blowing it to pieces. These things had no shielding, and a damaged pod was a dangerous craft to be in.

"Don't let them…find me." she gasped before losing consciousness.

Startled, Luke scooped the girl into his arms and climbed back up the dune, sliding under the extra weight, and finally got to his speeder. He put her down in the backseat and hopped into the driver's seat, gunning the accelerator. He had to get her out of the sun, and that cut on her forehead needed to be taken care of. All of that he could do at home. Home! What would Uncle Owen say when he showed up with a strange girl in his arms? What could he tell them? A lie? He didn't want to lie, but he knew the truth was worse in this case. _I hate lying. _Of course, when he had to tell his aunt and uncle, who weren't actually related by blood, the story came out so smoothly he was surprised with himself.

"Where did you find her, Luke?"

"Out in the desert, miles outside of Anchorhead. I think she was attacked by Sand People and left for dead, but I can't imagine why she would have had any value to them."

"They don't care about anything, they'd shoot their own kind on a whim." Uncle Owen spat, "Get her inside out of the suns, and get your aunt to find the medi-kit."

"Yes, Uncle Owen." He carried the girl inside and called for his aunt, "Aunt Beru, I need the medi-kit!"

"I'll find it, Luke, you put her down on the table." Aunt Beru tossed a blanket over the table and Luke set his burden down. She was beautiful, and if one considered Luke's local prospects, she was a whole different breed of girl from Camie. He wondered if she had anything to do with the battle he'd seen earlier, if she was the only survivor. He would find out soon enough, he figured.

Leia recalled only blue eyes framed by sandy-blonde hair and a sun-tanned face before losing consciousness, and was surprised to regain consciousness to find herself alone in a small room. She wasn't dead, the aches in her body were testament to that, but she wasn't sure if she was in the company of friends or enemies. She sat up slowly, wincing as it agitated her ribs. None had broken or cracked, but they were certainly bruised. She pulled up her shirt and studied the dark bruises with dazed fascination. She leaned against the cool adobe wall and closed her eyes, breathing as deeply as she dared.

What had become of Siria? Had the Empire captured her? Leia knew Siria would never ever betray her or the Alliance, but that didn't make her feel any better about leaving the girl to a certain fate of torture and eventual death. The Empire would have no use keeping her alive if they thought she might not have the information they needed or if she had lied in whatever she told them.

"Hey, you're finally awake." A soft male voice from the doorway startled Leia and she turned her head to see a sand-dusted young man standing in the doorway, just a touch of awkwardness in his stance. She recognized his eyes first and smiled.

"I know you, you're the one who rescued me out in the desert."

"Yeah, I saw your escape-pod crash." He gave an uncomfortable shrug, "I wasn't going to leave you out there for the Sand People or a landing party."

"Thank you. What is your name?"

"Me? I'm Luke Skywalker." He came a little further into the room, still very unsure of how to act around her. She settled against the wall, sensing nothing but goodness in this stranger's heart. Clumsy goodness- it was kind of cute.

"Luke Skywalker, I'm Siria Keray." She gave her best friend's name instead of her own, not knowing exactly why or really caring.

"Siria Keray. I've never heard a name like yours before."

"And I haven't met anyone named Luke Skywalker, either. Sit down if you want to."

"Oh, I-I was just coming to tell you that Aunt Beru's fixed dinner if you're hungry."

"Thank you, that would be nice." Leia got up and held out one hand to Luke, who obviously had no idea what to make of the girl in his house, "I don't bite, I promise."

"S-sorry." He stammered, giving his hand and leading her out of the small bedroom. The meal was quiet, and for all that they had to be quite curious they didn't ask any questions of her. If only these good-hearted people knew what kind of trouble she could bring to their doorstep. There was no doubt the Empire would do anything necessary to recover the missing data-tapes. She didn't want them harmed because of her actions, but there was nothing she could do.

That night, Leia slept in Luke's small bed while he slept on a cot in a spare room. Her dreams were dark and troubling and when she woke the next morning, she found Luke beside her. Both arms were around her, and she wondered if he had come in during the night to offer comfort in her sleep. It was touching, but Leia knew she couldn't offer him any false hopes. If poor Luke ever found out who she really was, it would break his simple heart. His bumbling ways were endearing, like his hands and feet were a few sizes larger than the rest of him, and he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do around a girl. Leia closed her eyes and went back to sleep, and when she woke up the next time Luke was gone as if he'd never been. Only the warmth in the mattress and a lingering scent on the pillow reminded her of her first morning awakening in the quaint homestead. She got up and inspected herself in the mirror, grimacing at what she saw.

"I look awful." She muttered, twisting to look over her shoulder as she turned her back to the mirror, "Ugh." The cut on her forehead was almost fully healed, and she touched the bandage-strips gingerly.

"You look a sight prettier than Luke's friend Camie." The voice of Luke's homely Aunt Beru startled Leia and she whipped around to see the older woman standing in the doorway, an armload of clothes in her arms, "She's not very pretty at all."

"Who's Camie?"

"One of Luke's friends at Toche Station. Her boyfriend's a real bully, always picking on Luke. They all do it, it hurts him a lot but he doesn't say anything to us." Aunt Beru set the clothes on the bed, smiling warmly, "I found some old clothes that might fit you."

"Oh, thank you. Please, don't think I'm complaining. You've all been so kind to me."

"Out here, Siria, we take care of each other." Beru gave Leia one of those knowing, motherly looks, the one warning her to be gentle with Luke, "Luke's heart is in the right place, he's just awfully shy around girls."

"Where is he?"

"Owen is purchasing some droids for farm work, and Luke went with him. They're topside if you'd care to go, I personally don't care much for Jawas. They're such slimy creatures." Beru left her alone and she picked through the clothes. It was obvious that Beru had never worn these clothes, she was of stockier build than whoever had worn them before. She finally settled on a pants-and-tunic set with a surcoat in earth tone shades. Braiding her hair, Leia went out in search of Luke.

"Oh, Siria! If you're going, can you make sure Owen buys a droid that speaks Bocce?" Aunt Beru called up to her as she passed the central plaza pit. She looked at the line of droids by a massive vehicle that dwarfed its operators and grimaced.

"I don't think there's going to be much choice, but I'll remind him." She headed to the two farmers holding a discussion with strange be-robed aliens who didn't even speak Basic. Leia closed one hand over the back of Luke's tunic, shying away from the Jawas.

"Oh, good morning." Luke offered a sweet smile, "You didn't have to come up here."

"I'm supposed to remind your uncle to find a droid that speaks or understands Bocce."

"I'll tell him." Luke departed to pass on the word from Aunt Beru. For all that she had only been with them for one day, it felt so right to call them Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru. Uncle Owen was a little rough around the edges, hardened by a life scratched out of the harsh Tatooine desert, but he had a good heart. Aunt Beru was the gentler spirit to her husband's harsher tendencies, and together they looked after Luke Skywalker. In him, Leia sensed a flighty spirit aching to spread his wings and fly free, an uncertain boy just coming into his manhood and still not quite sure what he was supposed to do around pretty girls.

Luke struck her as a bit of a dreamer, an optimist. The Rebellion could use ten of Luke and twenty of his uncle. They ended up purchasing a chatty golden protocol droid and a stubby silver R2 unit. Leia bit back a gasp of alarm. It was R2-D2 and C-3P0, from the _Tantive IV_! If she was lucky, they wouldn't recognize her right away. C-3P0 just greeted her with a courteous "Good morning" before going on his way to the garage. Luke and Uncle Owen had a small argument concerning the two droids and Luke's desires to go into the nearby spaceport to visit with friends.

"You can waste time with your friends _after _your chores are done, Luke. Besides, you have company, it would be poor manners to run off to Anchorhead and leave Siria here on the homestead."

"She could…never mind." Luke gave up, "Come on, you two." Leia trotted after him, sensing a point of tension between Luke and his uncle. She perched on a workbench as Luke started cleaning the droids, feeling the first pangs of uneasiness. She recalled the protocol droid to be incredibly chatty and not altogether bright. But he was so preoccupied with the oil-bath he didn't seem to notice her all that much. She was alright with further anonymity, for all hell was going to break loose very soon. She could feel it in the air. Suddenly, a flash of light from R2's face interrupted her. Something Luke had done had tripped the recording mechanism and part of her message to Obi-Wan Kenobi looped over and over again. Luke watched it for a moment and looked at her.

"Siria, look at this. This girl looks and sounds just like you. Who is she?"

"Her name is Leia, she was on the _Tantive IV _with me."

"It sounds like she's in some kind of trouble. Do you have any idea what she's talking about?"

"No, I've never seen this message before."

"Sir, Artoo suggests removing the restraining bolt. It seems to have short-circuited his recording mechanism."

"Oh, well I guess you're too small to run off on us." Luke removed the bolt, only to have the message disappear. Leia heaved a sigh of relief. Aunt Beru calling them to dinner interrupted Luke's argument with C-3P0, a distraction for which Leia was grateful. They left Threepio to deal with his suddenly amnesiac counterpart and went to the main house. Dinner was a tense affair, with Luke and Uncle Owen getting into an argument over Luke's desire to leave for the Imperial Academy next year and Owen needing him on the homestead to help with the coming harvest. Leia finally couldn't sit still any longer and fled the kitchen. She ran out through the garage and climbed onto the garage-dome, sitting there to watch the suns set on the distant horizon. She hugged her knees to her chest, buried her face in her arms, and cried. A princess was not supposed to cry, but she couldn't help herself. Luke found here there a short time later when he came looking for Artoo, who had apparently run off while they were inside at dinner.

"Hey, are you alright?" he climbed up next to her, "Was it something I said?"

"No." She shook her head, "I was thinking of Leia. She's in danger, Luke, and there's nothing I can do for her."

"There's not much any of us can do. Don't worry," he smiled and put an arm around her, "if Leia is _anything _like you, she can take care of herself." Leia sighed and relaxed into the friendly, supportive embrace. It had been such a long time since a boy held her at all that she welcomed Luke's shy touch. When Uncle Owen called them inside for the night, Luke cast a last withering look at the desert and Leia felt bad for him. He'd been the one to remove the restraining bolt and that had allowed Artoo to run away in the first place.

"Don't worry, Luke. You can find him in the morning, he can't have gotten very far." She coaxed him into the homestead, and they got ready for bed. An impending sense of doom kept Leia awake half the night, and around midnight Luke came wandering into her room. He couldn't sleep, either. Leia figured at least one of them might sleep better if they slept together, and surprised herself by falling asleep shortly after Luke joined her. When she woke the next morning, Luke was gone. Threepio was missing, as well, and Leia knew they had gone out to find Artoo.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

AN: The description of the Death Star holding cell is taken almost verbatim from a nifty book I own containing the novelizations of the Original Trilogy. It came in handy for Game of Deception. Sections taken from the novelizations will always be noted. The only changes here are character-names, with Princess Leia being replaced by Siria Keray.

The holding cell was deathly dim, with only the bare minimum of illumination provided. There was barely enough to see the black metal walls and the high ceiling overhead. The cell was designed to maximize a prisoner's feelings of hopelessness, and this it achieved well. So much so that the single occupant started tensely as a hum came from one end of the chamber. The metal door, which began moving aside, was as thick as her body – as if, Siria Keray mused bitterly, they were afraid she might break through anything less massive with her bare hands.

Straining to see outside, Siria saw several Imperial guards assume positions just outside the doorway. Eyeing them defiantly, Siria backed up against the far wall. Her determined expression collapsed as soon as a monstrous black form entered the room, gliding smoothly as if on treads. His presence crushed her spirit as thoroughly as a bantha would crush an eggshell. That villain was followed by an antiqued whip of a man who was only slightly less terrifying, despite his miniscule appearance alongside the Dark Lord.

Darth Vader made a gesture to someone outside. Something that hummed like a huge bee moved close and slipped inside the doorway. Siria choked on her own breath at the sight of the dark metal globe. It hung suspended on independent repulsors, a farrago of metal arms protruding from its sides. The arms were tipped with a multitude of delicate instruments. Most prominent was a protruding arm to which was attached a hypodermic needle filled with an opaque white substance.

Siria studied the contraption fearfully. She had heard rumors of such machines, but had never really believed that Imperial technicians would construct such a monstrosity. Incorporated into its soulless memory was every barbarity, every substantiated outrage known to mankind – and to several alien races as well.

Vader and Tarkin stood there quietly, giving her plenty of time to study the hovering nightmare. The Governor in particular did not delude himself into thinking that the mere presence of the device would shock her into giving up the information he needed. Not, he reflected, that the ensuing session would be especially unpleasant. There was always enlightenment and knowledge to be gained from such encountered, and the Senator promised to be a most interesting subject. After a suitable interval had passed, he motioned to the machine. "Now, your Highness, we will discuss the location of the principle Rebel base."

The machine moved slowly toward her, traveling on a rising hum. Its indifferent spherical form blocked out Vader, the Governor, the rest of the cell…the light...

Muffled sounds penetrated the cell walls and thick door, drifting out into the hallway beyond. They barely intruded on the peace and quiet of the walkway running past the sealed chamber. Even so, the guards stationed immediately outside managed to find excuses to edge a sufficient distance away to where those oddly modulated sounds could no longer be heard at all.*

While Siria withstood torture to the best of her human abilities, Leia was eating breakfast with Luke's family. Luke, of course, was absent since he was out in the desert looking for runaway Artoo. After breakfast, Aunt Beru sent Leia out to collect vaporator mushrooms for lunch and Uncle Owen gave her a blast-rifle to defend herself against the Sand People while she was out. She also took her pistol, just as a precaution. Because of this, she was gone when the stormtroopers attacked and laid waste to the homestead. In the emptiness of the desert, she heard the explosion first. She whipped around, chore forgotten, and watched in horror as a plume of black smoke rose into the air. Forgetting for a moment her own safety, she ran to the speeder and jumped behind the controls, firing the cranky engine and tearing across the desert for home. Home…when had she begun to think of the Lars farmstead as home? Shaking that aside, she concentrated on coaxing every bit of speed she could out of the vehicle. Stopping on a ridge, she dropped to the ground and studied the scene through the binoculars in a case under one of the seats.

"Stormtroopers! Oh, no!" she gasped, watching a troop-transport tear away in the opposite direction. Once they were gone, she hopped back into the speeder and raced across the stretch of desert between her vantage point and the homestead. Fear and anger warred for places in her heart as she threw the speeder into park and all but fell out. The heat and smoke were almost overwhelming, but she fought through them as she circled the burning home, calling for her hosts. She knew Luke hadn't been here, he was out looking for Artoo.

_I should have warned them. _She thought bitterly as she searched the rubble. Suddenly, she stumbled across Aunt Beru, who was quite obviously dead. Beside her lay Uncle Owen. Leia threw her head back and screamed, not caring if anyone heard it. Two innocent, kind people had died because of her. A groan alerted her to the fact that Uncle Owen wasn't dead yet, and she fell to her knees, taking the kind farmer into her arms as his eyes flickered open.

"Siria…you shouldn't…be here." He rasped, and she shook her head.

"No, don't speak. I'm so sorry, Uncle Owen, this is my fault."

"Didn't…tell them any…anything."

"Shh, I know you didn't tell them anything. Just hold on, I'll get you out of here." She didn't care that she was crying. Uncle Owen drifted off into unconsciousness again, and she was alone. After a while, she heard something. She got up slowly, bringing the rifle to bear and charging the power-cell. If the stormtroopers had come back, they wouldn't be returning to their commanders this time.

"Siria? Uncle Owen?" she heard a voice through the smoke, so distant in her ears as her pulse roared, "Aunt Beru!" She gasped as a figure emerged through the smoke, "_Siria!_"

"Luke!" she cried, stumbling across the sand in hysterics. Luke caught her and she had a solid anchor. She tried to explain what she'd seen, what had happened. Luke just held her until she exhausted herself.

When Luke returned to the farmstead to find smoke billowing from the residential pits and the garage, he felt a pang of sickness in his gut. The family speeder sat not far from his, and he had a flash of fear that something had happened to Siria and his guardians. Had they tried to escape and been shot down? No, the speeder looked alright. He circled the homestead, calling out for them. Part of him knew Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru were dead, and part of him hoped Siria hadn't died with them.

"_Siria_!" he cried, coughing as the smoke filled his lungs.

"Luke!" he heard her voice as he emerged from the smoke and saw her stumbling across the sand towards him. He caught her, relieved to find her alive and unharmed.

"Siria, what happened?"

"They…destroyed everything, Luke! I'm sorry!" she wept in his arms, and he understood.

"Uncle Owen?"

"He's…s-still alive. Aunt Beru is dead, I'm s-sorry."

"Oh, Siria." He hugged the girl tightly, "You couldn't have known they would be coming here anymore than I did. Can we move Uncle Owen?"

"We can try. He was hurt pretty bad." Siria didn't move to pull away from him.

"Let's move them. We can bury Aunt Beru." He looked to the two still figures and swallowed the bitter taste in the back of his throat. They wrapped Aunt Beru in two blankets and put her body in the backseat of the family speeder. Uncle Owen rode in the front with Siria, and Luke led the way back to the burned-out sand-crawler. He wondered what Obi-Wan would say when he came back with Siria and his guardians, if he would say anything.

They ended up going to Mos Eisley together in search of a transport to get them off of Tatooine after returning to Obi-Wan's hut long enough to bury Aunt Beru. Uncle Owen almost objected to going, but Siria convinced him to leave. He could make a new life for himself somewhere else, wherever he wanted. It was the first time Luke had ever seen his common-sense Uncle say yes to something so uncertain. He admired Uncle Owen for finally doing something out of the ordinary.

Leaving Tatooine and becoming involved in the Rebellion he hadn't believed in was as radical as his uncle would ever get.

**Here's another chapter, again, originally written by Vulcan Wolf.**

*passage taken from The Star Wars Trilogy novelization: A New Hope, Chapter V, Page 68-69.


	3. Chapter 3

Here's chapter three! Let me know if you spot any other spelling errors, 'cause it's late and I'm tired…

FYI: All of my stories will be on temporary hiatus until about the first week in June.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter Three

When they reached Mos Eisley only to be stopped by stormtroopers, Leia felt a stab of fear. Luke was ahead of them with Obi-Wan Kenobi and the droids, she had Uncle Owen beside her, and they both stopped at a signal from one of the troopers. It wasn't the humans they were interested in, Leia realized with a sigh of relief even as troopers scanned the bottom of her speeder, but the droids in the back of Luke's vehicle. Somehow, they got through the checkpoint and were waved on down the street. For the purposes of getting off of Tatooine in one piece, she was posing as Uncle Owen's niece and Luke's sister. Her face was covered by a scarf to protect her from the blowing sand and also served to hide any defining features a stormtrooper might recognize.

Luke took them deep into the oldest section of the spaceport, and they entered a blockhouse cantina. The droids had to stay outside, their kind weren't welcome in the cantina. There was a disturbance with two of the rowdier patrons picking on Luke. Uncle Owen got between them, telling the aliens to go pick on somebody else and leave his nephew alone. Luke and Leia caught him when the humanoid alien took a swing at him, and a brawl broke out. It was all over very quickly thanks to Obi-Wan's quick thinking and even quicker action with his lightsaber.

"If we can get out without any more trouble, it won't be soon enough." Leia whispered as she helped Luke usher a woozy Uncle Owen to a table. Obi-Wan led the way with a tall Wookiee, who only just sent a chill of fear through Leia. The creature wasn't likely to do _her _any bodily harm, but she knew what Wookiees were physically capable of and didn't want a first-hand demonstration. A tall, lanky Corellian slid into the seat against the wall and introduced himself as Han Solo, captain of the _Millennium Falcon_. None of them had ever heard of it, which seemed to surprise the captain.

"It's the ship that made the Kessel run in less than twelve parsecs." Which was almost impossible and an obvious attempt to show off. He kept going, even though Leia was doubtful he'd ever done such a thing as he claimed, "Look, I've outrun Imperial starships, not the local bulk cruisers mind you." _That _got her attention. He grinned, "I'm talking about the big Corellian ships now. She's fast enough for you, old man. What's the cargo?" If the _Millennium Falcon _could truly outrun a star destroyer like Captain Solo claimed, Leia would pay him herself.

"Only passengers. Myself, the children, my step-brother, two droids, and no questions asked."

"What is it?" he was intrigued, and Leia knew he did his work purely for the money it made him, "Some kind of local trouble?"

"Let's just say we'd like to avoid any Imperial entanglements."

"Well, that's the real trick, isn't it?" he smirked, "And it's going to cost you something extra. Ten thousand, all in advance."

"Ten thousand?" Luke yelped, appalled by the seemingly large amount, "We could almost buy our own ship for that!"  
"Yeah, but who's going to fly it, kid? You?" Solo jabbed. He was charismatic and far too sure of himself.

"You bet I could. I'm not such a bad pilot myself!" Luke wasn't about to be played for a fool by the cocky Corellian, "We don't have to sit here and listen…"

"We can pay you two thousand now, plus fifteen when we reach Alderaan." Leia spoke up before the contest of wills could escalate any further. Luke's eyes almost fell right out of his head in amazement.

"Seventeen, huh?" the Corellian pirate considered this for a minute and smiled lazily, "Okay, you guys got yourselves a ship. We'll leave as soon as you're ready. Docking Bay Ninety-Four."

"Ninety-Four, of course." Obi-Wan nodded.

"Looks like somebody's starting to take an interest in your handiwork, old man." Solo's eyes fixed on a point behind them, "You might want to make yourselves scarce."

Leia twisted around and saw four stormtroopers looking over the bodies of the dead rabble-rousing aliens, asking questions of the bartender, who pointed to their corner. But when the stormtroopers looked, the only people sitting at the table were Han Solo and his copilot.

After selling the speeders for what Luke claimed was a fraction of what he thought they were worth, Leia and her party made their way to the _Millennium Falcon_'s docking bay. When they reached the port entry, they found the copilot waiting restlessly.

"If the ship's as fast as his boasting, we ought to do well." Obi-Wan said almost to himself.

"Optimistic old fool." Uncle Owen muttered darkly, still worked up from the bar fight. Chewbacca led them into the dirt-floor hangar that was Docking Bay Ninety-Four. Resting in the middle of the bay was a beat-up, ellipsoid scrap-pile that could only loosely be labeled a starship.

It appeared to have been pieced together out of hull fragments and components discarded as unusable by other craft. The wonder of it, Leia mused, was that the thing actually held its shape. Trying to picture this vehicle as spaceworthy would have caused her to collapse in hysteria – were the situation not so serious. But to think of traveling to her homeworld in this pathetic…

"What a piece of _junk_." Luke exclaimed, putting her feelings to words. They walked up the ramp toward the open port.

"This thing couldn't _possibly _make it into hyperspace." She had to agree, "I've seen tow-yard haulers in better condition than this." Obi-Wan and Uncle Owen didn't comment, but pointed toward the port, where a figure was coming to meet them. Either Solo had supernaturally acute hearing, or else he was used to the reaction the sight of the _Millennium Falcon _produced in prospective passengers.

"She may not look like much," he said as he approached them, "but she's all go. I've added a few unique modifications myself. She'll make point five past lightspeed."

Luke scratched his head as he tried to reassess the craft in view of its owner's claims. Either the Corellian was the biggest liar this side of the galactic center, or there was more to the vessel than met the eye. Luke thought back once more to Obi-Wan's admonition to never to trust surface impressions, and decided to reserve judgment on the ship and its pilot until after he had watched them in operation. He heard a series of barks from the ramp and turned to see Chewbacca, who must have stayed behind to make sure nothing stalled their departure. Solo just nodded as his copilot charged up the boarding ramp.

"We're in a bit of a rush, so if you'll just get onboard, we'll get out of here." He waved them aboard and Luke hurried up the ramp with Leia. Obi-Wan, Uncle Owen, and the droids followed them. Any questions he may have had about their sudden hurry to get out of the hangar were answered when, upon reaching the cockpit, he saw a squad of stormtroopers flood into the bay.

"Chewie, get us out of here!" Solo shouted from the back. Luke went back with the others and strapped in for what was promising to be a bumpy ride.

Siria Keray had not broken down and told them anything, and they still believed she was Princess Leia, but she had the awful feeling something horrible was about to happen. That feeling was justified when, upon reaching a wide chamber that serviced as a control room of sorts aboard the Death Star, she saw her homeworld framed in a viewport. But any fear she had was dispelled by the sight of the tall, willowy man clad in Imperial gray. She bristled in disgust as Vader brought her to the Governor.

"Governor Tarkin. I should have expected to find you holding Vader's leash." She spat, "I recognized your foul stench when I was brought on board."

"Charming to the last." He tipped her head up, "You don't know how hard I found it to sign the order to terminate your life."

"I'm surprised you had the courage to take the responsibility yourself!" she hissed, jerking away from his touch. He just smirked at her attitude in the face of death.

"Princess Leia, before your execution I would like you to be my guest at a ceremony that will make this battle station operational." He looked at her, "No star system will dare oppose the Emperor now."

_That's what you'd like to think, slime-bag. _She thought acidly, refusing to let this man intimidate her. "The more you tighten your grip, Tarkin, the more star systems will slip through your fingers."

"Not after we demonstrate the power of this station. In a way, you have determined the choice of the planet that will be destroyed first." He snapped, but quickly took a more patronizing tone, "Since you are so reluctant to provide us with the location of the Rebel base, I have chosen to test this station's destructive power…on your homeworld of Alderaan." Now it made sense, why she could see her homeworld so clearly displayed!

"No, Alderaan is peaceful!" she pleaded, "We have no standing armies. You can't possibly…"

"You would prefer another target? A military target? Then name the system!" he roared, "I grow tired of asking, so it will be the last time. _Where _is the Rebel base?"

"Dantooine." Siria looked sadly at Alderaan, naming a former base-world, "They're on Dantooine."

"There. You see, Lord Vader, she can be reasonable." He turned then to the officer beside him, "Continue with the operation, you may fire when ready."

"_What_?" Siria couldn't believe her ears, she didn't want to believe, "You can't…"

"Dantooine is far too remote to serve as an effective demonstration. We will deal with your Rebel friends on Dantooine as soon as possible."

"But you said…" Siria protested uselessly.

"We will proceed with the destruction of Alderaan as planned." He gestured to the two soldiers flanking her, "Escort her to the principle observation level and make certain she is provided with an unobstructed view."

"You _can't _do this! You can't! We have no standing armies, we are peaceful!" she shouted, "You are no better than your master! _Eldipa cruche_!" She spat a very nasty Corellian insult at the Governor, putting all her force behind those two words.

If only Siria had known there were a handful of survivors, unnoticed by the Empire as it prepared to obliterate Alderaan from the face of the galactic map. She watched her homeworld as it was obliterated and wept, thinking her family had died in the destruction. How wrong she was.

As they shot away from Alderaan, Bail Organa looked back once at the monstrosity that hovered in close orbit. When his wife had come to him three nights ago with a nightmare, more of a dream warning from an old friend, he had begun evacuating his world. Most of the armed forces and citizens were safely offworld, there were only ten ships left to launch. His was among four of the first to depart, all under cloaking-devices to hide them from the Empire.

"We'll never see it again." He whispered.

"Sir, we're prepared to make the jump to hyperspace." His pilot said. Bail just nodded and a moment later, they vanished into the safety of hyperspace. He had his ship on a direct course for Yavin 4, the outpost world of the Rebel Alliance. The four in his cluster were all going to the outpost, everyone else had scattered to worlds friendly to the Alliance, or to jump-stop rendezvous points of the Alliance's fleet. He thought for a moment of his daughters, Siria and Leia. Both were adopted and both were loved dearly. When they had come of age, he had inducted them into the ranks of the Alliance. Leia had gone on to serve in the Imperial Senate, taking his place, and of course Siria was never far behind her sister. They looked so much alike they had often switched places. He could tell when it was Siria and not Leia, but very few others were even aware of the switch-around. They were best friends, nearly inseparable, and he doubted even the Empire could part them for long.

Meanwhile, the destruction of Alderaan was felt by Obi-Wan Kenobi, who had to sit down. Leia hurried to help him to one of the couches along the walls, "General?"

"What's wrong?" Luke left off practicing with his father's lightsaber, "Are you alright?"

"I felt a great disturbance in the Force…as if hundreds of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced." He looked up at them sadly, "I fear something terrible has happened."  
"Siria?" Luke put one hand on her shoulder as she grew very quiet. She said nothing, lost in thought. The hand on her shoulder moved to her waist and turned into a hug. Her first thought was for Siria, what she must be going through.

_It should be me in her place! _She thought miserably.

When Han Solo came back to tell them that the star destroyers wouldn't be giving them anymore trouble, Luke went back to lightsaber practice, the droids their dejarik game with Chewbacca, Obi-Wan offered advice to Luke, and Leia brought Uncle Owen to the lounge from the cabin where he had spent much of the lift-off and subsequent escape from Tatooine.

When they arrived at Alderaan to find it gone, Leia felt sadness but no urge to cry. She was shocked by the destructive power of the Death Star to obliterate a planet so completely.

"Judging by the wild energy and the amount of rubble, Alderaan must have been blown straight to Kingdom Come, but that would take more concentrated firepower than the entire Imperial fleet put together." Han maneuvered the _Millennium Falcon _through the debris field, shaking his head in disbelief. Suddenly, an explosion rocked the _Falcon_ as a TIE fighter raced past the cockpit.

"It followed us!" Luke cried in disbelief.

"No, TIEs are short-range fighters." Leia shook her head.

"There aren't any bases around here. Where'd it come from?"

"It sure is leaving in a big hurry."

"If they identify us, we're in big trouble." Leia whispered faintly.

"Not if I can help it." Han was all business, "Chewie, jam it's transmissions."

"It'd be just as well to let it go. It's too far out of range." Obi-Wan cautioned.

"Not for long." Han grinned, and Leia wondered if he actually _was_ suicidal.

"A fighter that size couldn't get this deep into space on its own." Obi-Wan mused.

"Then he must have gotten lost, been part of a convoy, or something…" Luke tried to make sense of it all. Leia shook her head.

"Imperial pilots don't just get lost, _or _separated."

"Well, he ain't going to be around long enough to tell anybody about us." Han coaxed a little more speed out of his ship.

"Look at him." Luke pointed, "He's heading for that small moon."

"I think I can get him before he gets there…he's almost in range." Han studied readouts while Leia eyed the object growing larger in the cockpit's viewport. A shiver ran down her spine and she wheeled, running from the cockpit.

"Leia!" Luke called after her.

"That's not a moon! That's a battle station!" she called back, running to the cabin where their scant belongings were kept. She snatched up the cloak and scarf that served as the rest of her disguise. She heard the engines whine in protest as she reached the cockpit, and felt a shudder run through the hull.

"Why aren't we moving away?" Luke demanded.

"We're locked in a tractor beam. I'm on full power right now, I have to shut down before the engines melt." Han went about shutting down all but the most vital systems, "But they're not getting us without a fight." Leia shuddered to think of what they had done to Siria, what _could _happen to her if she was taken captive.

"You can't win, but there are alternatives to fighting." Obi-Wan cautioned. Han looked at the old Jedi.

"Yeah?"

"Deception can be a very useful tool in times of danger, captain." Obi-Wan glanced at Leia, smiling. He knew! The crazy old Jedi _knew _she wasn't Siria Keray! Leia had the feeling she would be part of this plan, whatever it was. Han grinned and got up, "You, come with me." Leia hurried after him and found him digging around in his closet, clothes flying in all directions.

"Captain, _what_ are you doing?" she demanded.

"Finding something else you can wear. Ah, this should do the trick. Here, try that for size, kid." He tossed out a skin-tight jumpsuit of dark green with high polished boots and a holster-belt. She picked it up, shocked at the thought of even wearing it.

"Oh, you must be joking!"

"Nope. Had a passenger a few years ago just about your size. She left her stuff behind and never came back for it. Here, this goes over it." He threw out an ankle-length trench-coat of black and slipped past her out the door, "Don't take too long."

She waited until the door was closed, looked at the jumpsuit then at what she was wearing, and shrugged. "All in the name of getting out of this alive." She muttered, changing clothes with the same speed she had back on the _Tantive IV_. When she was done, she studied her reflection curiously.

"Hmm. This looks like something Siria would wear." She smirked at the thought of her sister wearing these same clothes for an undercover mission.

"At one time, she did." A quiet, amused voice startled her and she spun around to see Obi-Wan standing in the doorway behind her.

"You knew?"

"Don't worry, your secret is perfectly safe with me." He smiled, "I won't be the one to reveal the truth."

"Thank you." Leia went to the older man, once the greatest of Jedi Masters, and embraced him, "For understanding, for keeping my secret."

"Your mother was a very resourceful woman, Leia, and you remind me a great deal of her at your age." He led her out of the cabin, "She would have been very proud of you."

"You knew my mother? My real mother?"

"Yes, I knew her well. Her death has haunted me for twenty years." He seemed sad and Leia wondered if this quiet, unassuming old man had once loved her birth mother, a woman Leia had never known. Her adopted father, Bail Organa, didn't speak of her often and didn't like it when Leia and Siria got too curious about the mysterious woman who had been a queen, a senator, a wife, and a mother.

Han was fiddling with the log and asked if she had a cover-name she wanted to go by just in case the Imperials got too nosey.

"The name Kip Rikki has served me in the past." She used a cover-name Siria had made up for her on a whim once when they were sixteen.

"Works for me, kid." He did something with the log and when he was done closed out and got up, leaving that station, "I hope you don't mind being captain of the _Falcon _at least until we blow this party."

"You made Siria the captain? Why?"

"It'll keep the Imperials scratching their heads for a while, make 'em think it was stolen from me back in Mos Eisley."

"And you think it will actually work?" Luke obviously thought very little of this particular plan.

"You never know, kid. Now shut up and get in, we're gonna have company soon and I don't need to stare up the wrong end of a blast-rifle just yet." Han ushered them into sub-deck compartments, going last to close the panels that served as covers. Leia felt Luke's arms snake around her as the light was cut off and smiled wanly. It wasn't long before they heard heavy footfalls and Leia tensed as they stopped right overhead. Luke just tightened his grip. They were so close, Leia could just see the panels flying up and the five of them being arrested. But the footsteps moved on and once they were gone completely, she and Luke pushed back their panel and she pulled herself out of the hold. Luke helped her up and she sat on the edge of the compartment.

"I thought they would find us down there!" Luke gave voice to her thoughts and she looked at the shy farmboy. His white tunics and trousers, more appropriate for Tatooine's unforgiving climate, were gone. They had been replaced by brown trousers and matching boots, a dark green shirt, a holster-belt, and a brown jacket like the one she wore. She arched an eyebrow.

"What's with the disguise?"

"Part of Han's ingenious plan, whatever it is."

"You kids are the brother-sister pair of sand-rat pirates who stole the _Falcon _from me just before we were set to blast out of Tatooine, and those two were my original passengers." He pointed at Uncle Owen and Obi-Wan, who exchanged a look that said they thought the smuggler was full of it. Maybe he was, but the crazy plan might just work.

"Owen won't be able to keep up with the rest of us, I feel we may be doing quite a bit of running about, so he has elected to stay aboard."

"Just don't touch anything, and don't let the Imps know you're up here." Han grinned, getting to his feet. They waited in hiding for a scanning team, and dispatched of the scanners. Han then coaxed a pair of stormtroopers aboard, clocked the tall one on the back of the head. The other stormtrooper then did something entirely unexpected and dropped his rifle, throwing his hands up.

"Don't shoot! Please don't hurt me!"

"Why?"

"I can help you! I swear, just don't shoot!" from the tone of voice, Leia half expected the trooper to drop to his knees and beg. Instead, he pulled off his helmet and offered a lopsided grin, "Hi, Tag Greenley. Nice to meet you. Sorry about the confusion."

"I know you from somewhere." Leia studied the trooper more closely, "Weren't you on the _Tantive VI _above Tatooine?"

"Yeah. So was my buddy. By the way, nice right hook." Tag flashed a grin at Han, who just stared in dumbfounded shock.

"How can you help _us_?"

"Easy. You need at least two stormtroopers. Cail and I can help in that department. Where exactly were you headed in this place?"

"We need to deactivate the tractor beam." Leia answered.

Obi-Wan didn't seem all that surprised to see Tag, watching with wry amusement as Han pulled off the other trooper's helmet and slapped the kid to bring him around. After a brief argument that included several Corellian insults, they got off the _Falcon_, leaving Uncle Owen behind, hidden in a smuggler's compartment. They found refuge in a gantry office, effectively dispatching the guards and officers inside. Han clocked the officer in charge, and before Leia or the boys could ask why, he was busy stripping the officer and switching clothes.

"Oh, smart move. I hope you can pull it off." Tag snickered. Amazingly, the uniform fit just perfectly.

"We might just pull this crazy charade off!" Luke looked at the undercover stormtroopers and then at Han, grinning. Artoo, meanwhile, had plugged into a computer outlet and hacked into the Imperial network. He let out a series of whistles.

"He says he's found the main controls to the power beam that's holding the ship here. He'll try to make the precise location appear on the monitor." Threepio translated the astro-droid's electronic language as readouts flashed across the screen, "The tractor beam is coupled to the main reactor in seven locations. A power loss at one of the terminals will allow the ship to leave."

"Seven terminals? Jeez, no wonder the _Falcon _got the shakes." Han whistled. Obi-Wan moved towards the door.

"I don't think you boys can help. I must go alone."

"Whatever you say, old man." Tag's partner Cail Otauna flipped a cocky salute to the old Jedi, "I've done more than _I _bargained for on this trip already."

"I want to go with you." Luke stopped Obi-Wan.

"Be patient, Luke. Stay and watch over the droids."

"But they can – "

"They must be delivered safely or other star systems will suffer the same fate as Alderaan. Your destiny lies along a different path from mine now. The Force will be with you…always." He looked at Leia and smiled sadly, "Good luck to all of you." Tag and Cail offered hesitant waves as the old Jedi disappeared.

Almost immediately after Obi-Wan left, Cail and Han got into an argument over something, broken up by a blue streak from Artoo. Leia followed Luke to the droid.

"What is it?"

"I'm afraid I'm not quite sure, sir. He says 'I found her' and keeps repeating 'She's here'."

"Well, who…who has he found?"  
"Princess Leia."

"The princess?" Luke yelped, "She's _here_?"

"Princess?" Tag, Han, and Cail chimed in confusion.

"Where…where is she?" Leia was amazed her voice was so steady.

"Princess? What's going on?" Cail demanded.

"Level five, detention block AA-twenty-three. I'm afraid she's scheduled to be terminated."

"Oh no!" Luke was horrified and Leia felt quite faint all of a sudden, "We've got to do something!"

"What are you talking about?" Han snapped, just as confused as the other two.

"The droids belong to her. She's the one in the message." Leia said, "We've got to help her."

"Now look, don't get any funny ideas." Tag cautioned, "The old man wants us to wait right here."

"But he didn't know she was here!" Luke shot back. This led to a whole new round of arguing. It was mostly between Han and the other two, Luke just sat with his head in his hands. Leia put one hand on Han's shoulder, breaking up the argument for a moment.

"Han, if you rescue Leia Organa, you have not only the gratitude of the Alliance, but of a princess."

"Huh?"

"If you were rescue her, the rewards would be…"

"What?"

"Double." She knew that would get all three of them.

"Double _what_?"

"Seventeen thousand promised at Tatooine, plus the reward pay for rescuing Leia."

"Keep talking."

"If you have any debts to pay off, you'll have more than enough to square things off with your boss."

"How do you…?"

"Han, you're a smuggler. All smugglers work for someone, and often those people require a nice sum of money."

"Yeah, if I can pay off the Hutt once and for all, I'll be a happy man."

"Consider it done."

"But?"

"Please, Han, Leia needs your help, and she's no good to the Alliance dead." _And she might be the only thing I have left in the galaxy. _Leia thought miserably.

The boys eventually agreed to help, and Leia and Luke got to play up the role of prisoners with Chewie. The Wookiee almost ripped off Tag's head when the trooper tried to cuff him, and Leia had to laugh as Han calmed his jumpy copilot and tried to reassure him that this was all part of a grander plan. Besides, this run alone could make them very rich beings. Nothing wrong with that, right? Once she and Luke were properly restrained, they set off in search of the detention levels. What a strange parade they must have presented to the officers and stormtroopers who passed them in the hallways. An officer, his two stormtrooper underlings, and a bizarre trio of prisoners. She could only hope Obi-Wan's mission was going as well.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Obi-Wan Kenobi prowled the quiet passages of the Death Star on his quest to make escape possible for Leia, Siria, Luke, the crew of the _Millennium Falcon_, and the two undercover Rebel agents posing as stormtroopers. Some part of him knew this could very well be his last mission, and he would not leave the Death Star alive. If he left it at all, which was also in contention.

"Don't do it again." A quiet voice startled him and he looked to see that he was alone. There was no one else, and Vader was still quite far away.

"Don't give up, Obi-Wan." The voice came again, much closer this time. Obi-Wan paused and focused on a point two feet in front of him.

"Master?" how strange to utter that word after thirty-two years. For the first time in that many years, Obi-Wan stood before his old master. The last time he'd actually _seen_ Qui-Gon Jinn was the day after he had burned his master's body in Theed and taken Anakin Skywalker as his first and only Padawan.

"What makes you think Anakin will be your only Padawan?"

"I'm old, Master, I have nothing left to give anyone."

"That's a lie, Obi-Wan, and you know it. Lying is quite unbecoming a Jedi Knight."

"You didn't come to lecture me, did you?"

"No, I came to set you straight. You've been alone far too long, Obi-Wan, if you can't see what's right in front of you. Luke Skywalker needs you, needs you to believe in him and help him when he needs it."

"What about Anakin?"

"If there is any good left in that empty shell, I wish you luck in finding it. Anakin Skywalker died with his wife, Obi-Wan, he died a terrible death. Why did you leave him?"

"What could I do? He wouldn't have wanted my help if he'd been healthy and in one piece."

"Another lie. What were you so afraid of? Failure? You'd already managed that quite spectacularly. Don't let your failure with Anakin taint your possible future with Luke. Luke deserves to be a Jedi, and I can assure you that the Force is not ready for you yet."

"Then what am I supposed to do?"

"Train Luke Skywalker. With any luck at all, my still-stubborn Padawan, you'll die in your sleep of ripe old age. I never had that leisure, don't steal it from yourself in a show of martyrdom." There was a sadness to his master's voice and Obi-Wan realized something. He had been on the verge of doing the same thing to Luke that Qui-Gon had done to him thirty-two years ago. He had forgiven his master, it was un-Jedi not to, but it still hurt.

"You always did tell me to do as you said, not as you did."

"Yes, and if it's taken you this long to realize that, I failed you in that respect of your training. Luke must face his father someday, Obi-Wan, and to do that he needs the confidence and stability of training." A twinkle of a smile in his master's eyes gave Obi-Wan some small hope, "I should dearly hope you weren't thinking of shoving the boy off on my poor beleaguered Master, were you?"

"Not right away, but I had hoped to send him to Dagobah when the time was right. Yoda could probably use a little excitement in his life."

"Luke Skywalker untrained would drive him to seek me in the Force and demand to know why I let you get away with it."

"Master, I have to know, it wasn't Anakin after all, was it?"

"No, Obi-Wan."

"Is it his son?"

"Why should I tell you? If you train the boy, you might be lucky enough to find out for yourself whether he is or is not the Chosen One."

"Why wasn't it Anakin?"

"His was a birth tampered with. Darth Sidious's own master had a hand in the process and there is the great possibility that Anakin may be Palpatine's own child."

"That's a terrifying thought. Like father like son. Can I hope the grandson doesn't take after his grandfather _or_ his father?" Obi-Wan felt a lightness of heart he had not felt since he had first cradled the newborn twins before seeing them off to their guardians.

"Yes, and that is why he needs you. Those tendencies are there, but Padmé's kindness and gentleness are there as well. I don't need to tell you of Leia?"

"Oh, that wily thing? She's duped the poor boy into thinking she's Siria Keray."

"And how is Siria?"

"At the moment, not well. I last heard that she was slated for execution. They must have switched places and Siria is playing Leia's part."

"You know she told them nothing of use."

"Why else would they destroy Alderaan?"

"Don't worry, Obi-Wan, there _are _survivors. One of whom would be most devastated if he were to find out his dearest friend and confidant decided to play the martyr."

"Bail. Oh, Qui-Gon, he did?"

"Several ships managed to escape, and I can't deny warning them in time. The girls would be crushed if he was truly gone."

"Well, Leia hasn't quite regained her color or her spunk since it was destroyed by this battle station. And I can only imagine what poor Siria must have gone through to watch it all."

"It will be sweet for all of them, Obi-Wan."

"I have a generator to knock out, would you like to tag along or do you have other places to go?"

"Other than a never-ending argument with Mace Windu on whether or not you'll actually train Anakin Skywalker's son or put yourself up against Darth Vader and become a martyr? No, not really."

"Oh, do say hello when you see him next." Obi-Wan smiled to think of the Korun Jedi Master, "And which side of the argument did _he _take?"

"He thinks you'll play the martyr."

"Tell him I'm sorry." Obi-Wan found the generator room and crept inside. Qui-Gon served to distract the two stormtroopers on duty. With his master's aid, Obi-Wan knocked out not one but two generators before he moved on.

_Now what, Master mine?_

_You stand at a crossroad, Obi-Wan. Look into yourself and see where each path will lead. _Qui-Gon prodded. Obi-Wan wedged himself into an alcove and closed his eyes. One path showed him dead and assisting Luke from a distance as a voice and an apparition, sending the boy off to Yoda without much training at all, and trying to coax him back from a foolish mission. Of being forced to watch and listen in rueful silence as the boy underwent a period of healing and change after facing his father unprepared, of rising to become a Knight after defeating the darkness that threatened to choke all that was good.

The other path showed years of fruitful training, of an uncertain boy growing in confidence and the Force at the tutelage of a Master unafraid of his past failure, "my greatest failure" is what Obi-Wan had said back on Tatooine. Of a Padawan better prepared for the trials of darkness, a son better prepared for the truth of his father's fate. A brother who would never betray his sisters, a son who believed in the good that still dwelt somewhere deep within the monster that was his father. The second path looked far more challenging and at the same time more enjoyable. It was a more fruitful way to spend what years remained to him, rather than sit in another plane of existence and wonder at the might-have-beens and maybes.

_Well, Padawan? Have you chosen your destiny?_

_I choose the second path, Master. What should I do now? _He had to smile.

_He knows you are here, and is seeking you out. I think I may be of some help to you. _His master appeared before him, looking almost solid. Obi-Wan choked, jumping back.

"How did you do _that_?" he reached out and brushed his fingers across the sleeve of his master's robe.

"You didn't think I've spent thirty-two years feeling sorry for myself, did you?"

"I should know better. How long can you stay this way?"

"As long as need be for you to get away safely. Together we will face Darth Vader. By the time he finds us, we should be close enough to the _Falcon_ it will be a simple matter of me serving as a necessary distraction." Qui-Gon shrugged, as if unused to the feeling of the weight on his shoulders, the material realness of his own flesh and blood.

"Well, use what time we have to get used to your temporary corporeal home, you're going to need it." Obi-Wan smirked, "I shall regret not being able to see the look on Vader's face when he realizes that you're already dead and he can't actually kill you."

"No, Darth Maul took care of that for him."

"Much to my displeasure."

"And mine as well, Padawan." Qui-Gon reached out and touched his shoulder in a familiar fashion. It took all of his self-control not to break down in tears like a lost child. He managed, and covered his master's hand with his, taking comfort in the simple gesture. With the knowledge that he did not have to die today, Obi-Wan went forth to face his greatest nemesis.


End file.
